UC Berkeley’s beloved peregrine falcon, Grinnell, has been injured in a fight with a pair of falcons looking to move into his and his mate’s territory. He’s expected to make a full recovery, but his world may have changed drastically by the time he returns.
Grinnell, the male half of a mated peregrine falcon pair that has lived atop UC Berkeley’s 307-foot Campanile bell tower for the past five years, is being treated at Lindsay Wildlife’s animal rehabilitation hospital in Walnut Creek.
The 8-year-old Grinnell was found Oct. 28 sitting on a trash can at the Berkeley Tennis Club. The falcon did not fly away or move when approached, and his rescuer, after calling Lindsay’s hospital hotline for advice, was able to easily catch the bird and place it in a box. The bird was kept overnight at the rescuer’s home and brought to the hospital the next day.
After being examined by Lindsay’s lead wildlife veterinarian, Dr. Krystal Woo, it was learned the falcon had broken off the tip of his upper bill and injured his left wing. He also is missing a large patch of feathers on his chin and throat area near a wound.
Observers have seen another pair of peregrine falcons, called floaters, in the area. It’s believed Grinnell received his injuries in the fight with the pair, a male and female, while protecting his territory from the birds that are likely looking to move in and take over the breeding area.
A recent video from the UC Berkeley falcon camera has been posted on social media, showing a male peregrine falcon exploring the nesting area on the tower.
The CalFalcon Facebook page reports that Grinnell’s mate, Annie, might believe Grinnell is dead and could be open to a new suitor. During Grinnell’s absence, she has been seen challenging the new pair, but she’s also been seen sitting quietly with them.
“This is not easy to talk about and not at all easy to report to Annie and Grinnell’s fans,” the moderator wrote on the Facebook page. “We are all hoping for the best.”
Peregrine falcons mate for life, but new mates can replace deceased ones, or a more dominant male can drive out his competition.
Annie and Grinnell first began nesting on top of the tower in 2017 and have hatched 13 chicks. One of the chicks died after flying into a window on campus, but the other dozen successfully left the nest. Both the parents and their offspring have been tagged to identify them, which is how Lindsay, checking the leg tag on Grinnell, learned it was treating something of a celebrity.
This past mating season, Grinnell and Annie hatched three male chicks, which were named Fauci, Kaknu, and Wek’-Wek.’ Twitter users voted on the names. Fauci is named after the noted doctor; the other two received Ohlone and Miwok names.
Grinnell is expected to remain in the care of the hospital for 10 to 14 days. He’s undergone surgery to close the wound on his wing, and he’s being treated with antibiotics, anti-parasitic drugs and pain medications.
When he’s healthy, he’ll be released back in the same general area where he was found, but it’s unknown if he’ll have a home and a mate when he returns.
Peregrine falcons are found throughout California and are a protected species. Their numbers had dwindled to alarmingly low rates several decades ago, but have been on the rebound. Grinnell is the fourth peregrine falcon patient Lindsay has treated this year.The donation-supported Lindsay Wildlife Rehabilitation Hospital provides free veterinary care to native California wildlife.
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